Followers

Blog Archive

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Bambi, wildflowers and chiggers

In my August post I wasn't joshing about the deer getting closer to the house. (Maybe related to the fact we got behind on our mowing?) I know in more Northernly states that deer sightings near residences is more common. But not in the South. To see deer munching near your house is rare! This Bambi was the first thing I saw when I woke up the other morning. Her mom was near and could hear the click of my camera. No, it wasn't a hammer on a shotgun, Mama.

Al-Ozarka sent an email recently welcoming Autumn. He spoke of the crop of Autumn wildflowers that were on their way. I still wasn't prepared. Since March, we've had wave after wave of new flower crops. The Autumn wildflowers have been my fave. The Goldenrod is crowning our lot. I had no misgivings about paying $6 for a small bundle in Memphis and now I've got an ocean of it around my house.

(courtesy Ellis Hollow)

We haven't turned on the A/C in a couple of weeks and I'm already cuddling under the blankets at night. Chiggers should be gone by now, right? After a recent good rain, Daren and I went to our special nearby fishing hole. It was a glorious, sunny Sunday and only 75 degrees. I wore long pants, boots and a t-shirt. You have to trek about 3/4 of a mile to get there through the woods, but this insures you're THE ONLY ONE THERE. We both caught fish and I caught all the chiggers - once again. I bathed when I got home too. But I ended up with about 200 chigger bites. Daren didn't get one. And we've been through this before. I cried and cried. When I'm eaten up with hundreds of bites, I can't sleep at night, my bites ooze plasma and blood everywhere and the terrible itch lasts for about 10 days with me. There is No remedy for this, although my personal belief is that if you have chigger bites in your crotch and 50 on each breast, Valium would be very nice. I've spent hundreds of dollars of the last couple of Arkansas Adventure years looking for the most soothing product. Hydrocortisone patted down with Gold Bond Extra Medicated powdered is the best I can find. Daren said he could of made a pie crust on my stomach with all the powder I had on me. Chiggers and ticks will jump on me when I walk to the mailbox at the end of the driveway. WHY???? NOT FAIR!!!!

1 comment:

I live IN Melbourne. I have a herd of deer in my yard often. They bed in a thicket that separates my house from a neighbor. I have a large persimmon tree in my back yard...they LOVE persimmons.

One of the most amazing things about these hills, Virginia, is the vast array of wildflowers during the warm months. Some are so small one tends to overlook them...but often the smallest ones are the most intricate and lovely!